Preparation and Evaluation of Electrospun Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanofibers Containing Benzalkonium Chloride for Topical Application

Abstract

Introduction: Electrospinning technique is used to produce an ultrafine fibers. Nanofibers obtained from this technique exhibits many advantages which are: high surface area to volume, high porosity and small pore size. This study aimed to fabricate nanofiber containing benzalkonium chloride (BC) as skin antimicrobial applications. Methods: Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofiber mats were prepared using electrospinning method. The various amount of BC were loaded into nanofibers. PVA solutions with various amount of BC were evaluated for the viscosity, surface tension and conductivity. The nanofibers were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD). The nanofibers were also evaluated for the wetting and dissolving time. Results: The diameter of nanofibers were 100-200 nm. The diameter of fiber decreased when the amount of loaded BC increased. XRPD results revealed that BC existed in PVA nanofiber in amorphous form. Conclusions: PVA-BC nanofibers can be fabricated using electrospinning method. BC existed in fibers in amorphous form which can be dissolved.